For more than 100 years the McLellan Galleries was one of the busiest and most respected public galleries in Scotland, named after one of its greatest art collectors and annually housing the biggest art show in the land.

However, in recent years the building has languished in obscurity, closed to the public, and lies empty and almost forgotten on one of the city's busiest shopping streets.

The new president of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI), Karin Currie, wants her organisation's annual exhibition to return to the venue, as well as staging a special Commonwealth exhibition in 2014, when the Commonwealth Games are held in the city.

The RGI's first annual exhibition in 1861 was at the McLellan Galleries in Sauchiehall Street and the building hosted it until the galleries were required to house the collections of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum while it was being renovated. Then, until last year, its space was rented by the Glasgow School of Art.

The RGI understands around £100,000 needs to be spent on the building to make it habitable.

Ms Currie said: "It is shut up at the moment, and it was Glasgow's only purpose-built art galleries really, just an outstanding resource.

"The School of Art moved out last year, and what the RGI would like to do is have an exhibition there for 2014, the Commonwealth Games. It is mothballed at the moment, and it's a shame."

A council spokesman said: "We would be happy to discuss any proposals for the RGI's annual show, and look forward to hearing the detail of what is being suggested."